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Richardson Takes Trade as Fuel for Improvement

The Colts picked up Trent Richardson, center, from the Browns in an unusual midseason deal.Credit
Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Members of Cleveland’s overhauled front office were not the only ones disappointed in Trent Richardson, the running back the Browns chose third over all in last year’s draft, when they dealt him to Indianapolis for what figures to be a late first-round selection in 2014.

Richardson readily admits that he is not meeting his own lofty expectations after running for 950 yards in his first season. He recognizes the urgent need to pick up the pace after averaging 2.9 yards a carry in his first two games for Indianapolis since the Sept. 19 trade.

“I can’t have a 950-yard year,” he said. “I’ve got to have a great year.”

Richardson said he believed that “good” running backs were capable of 1,000-yard seasons. He aspires to far more than that.

“I know what I hold my standards to,” he said. “This year is going to be a big year for me to know where I stand, to know where I’ll be as far as a top running back in the league.”

Although Richardson fell short of the 1,000-yard mark last year, playing despite having bruised ribs, his 950 yards were 8 more than the Cleveland rookie record set by Jim Brown in 1957. His 11 touchdowns topped Brown’s rookie mark by two. He also caught 51 passes for 367 yards and a touchdown. But he could not shake free for a run longer than 32 yards, fueling debate about the breakaway ability expected of him. He was drafted higher than any running back since the New Orleans Saints took Reggie Bush second over all in 2006.

When the Colts acquired Richardson, Coach Chuck Pagano described him as a “rolling ball of butcher knives” in describing how difficult he could be to tackle. He also said Richardson “fits our scheme to a T.”

Ryan Grigson, the Colts’ second-year general manager, may envision the creation of a new-age version of the Triplets, as quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin were known when they helped the Dallas Cowboys win three Super Bowls from 1992 to 1995.

Grigson added Richardson to Andrew Luck, already a star quarterback when he was taken as the top pick in last year’s draft, and T. Y. Hilton, a wide receiver taken in the third round who is coming off a record-setting year. Luck smashed the N.F.L. rookie record with 4,374 passing yards, 323 more than the mark set by the Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton the previous season. Hilton set a franchise rookie record with five 100-yard games.

The Colts are aiming to build a dynasty around Luck. When Grigson met with his scouts this year, one of them made a presentation in which he identified elements common to dynasties in other sports.

“The bar is set really high when you look at those franchises,” Grigson said. “We’re not there yet, but it’s something to shoot for.”

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After Richardson’s acquisition, Pagano said: “We know we’re trying to build a monster here, and we’re trying to build a program for sustained success for the long haul. So this gives you another opportunity to do that.”

Cleveland has won three straight games to lead the A.F.C. North at 3-2 since the trade, which stunned fans because transactions involving major players are rare and the Browns’ new general manager, Mike Lombardi, had seemingly given up on Richardson quickly.

The move to high-powered Indianapolis (3-1), which faces the Seattle Seahawks (4-0) in a home game Sunday, has yet to jump-start Richardson. He rushed 33 times for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first two games with the Colts. He has one reception for 6 yards as he continues to learn plays and familiarize himself with his surroundings.

As good a passer as Luck is, Indianapolis prides itself on its ability to run well behind a stout offensive line. The Colts rushed for at least 100 yards in each of their first four games (601 yards in all), their best stretch since they hit that mark in five successive games in 1988. Pep Hamilton, the offensive coordinator, said he was confident Richardson would help the Colts in their pursuit of offensive balance.

“He’s on schedule,” Hamilton said. “He’s bought into the fact that it’s going to be a grind and to be patient and chip away and burrow and strain for positive yardage. In time, long runs will come.”

Richardson noted the difficulty of learning a third offense in two years, this one without the benefit of a preseason.

“It’s going to come,” he said. “I see the runs in front of me.”

According to Hamilton, Richardson narrowly missed on a number of opportunities.

“There are times when holes are available to him to really break into the secondary,” he said. “We also expect Trent to create his own yards at times.”

Richardson emphasized that he was not discouraged. He said the trade had only stoked his motivation.

“To be a top running back in this league has always been a dream,” he said, determined to turn that dream into reality.

A version of this article appears in print on October 6, 2013, on Page SP5 of the New York edition with the headline: Richardson Takes Trade As Fuel for Improvement . Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe